Frankenstein

Frankenstein - Page Text Content

BC: Frankenstein

FC: Frankenstein | by Mary Shelley | An overview by Karen Perez

1: plot | Plot is made up of 5 different elements: 1. exposition 2. rising action 3. climax 4. falling action 5. resolution | Exposition: The story begins with Victor Frankenstein telling his story to a man who rescued him. It begins with Victor talking about his childhood and his family. With his great passion for old chemistry, he sets off for school in Ingolstadt after the death of his step mother. After arriving he decides to make his very own creation of humankind. Rising Action: Victor becomes insanely obsessed with making his creation. For about two years he does nothing but work of his project. Victor excludes everyone from his life for his creation, even his own needs. He never visits his home town, Geneva, in that time. After his creation was complete and became alive, tragedy struck. The monster was so hideously frightening that Victor instantly fell ill. When Victor finally awakened from his bed, time had flown by quickly. He soon found out that his brother William had been murdered. Upon hearing this news, Victor went to Geneva to see his family.

2: Climax: The turning point of the story occurs when Victor goes out to the woods where his brother was found murdered. While standing in the exact spot, he sees a shadow and now understands what has truly happened. Upon realizing his monster is the murderer, Justine is accused of the crime. Justine is later executed leaving Victor full of enough guilt and remorse to fall ill again. Falling Action: Victor becomes better and goes on a quest to find the monster in hopes of destroying it. However, when they finally meet the monster is now capable of speaking and understand the world around him. Victor and his monster sit and talk about the journey his creation has been on the entire time. The monster tells him all of the people he has met and how it has taught him to hate humankind. He has been rejected repeatedly because of his appearance. He explains how he murdered William because he had told him of his father, Frankenstein. The monster then proposes a deal. He will leave Frankenstein and everyone alone if he could have an equal female partner. Victor, being so desperate to get rid of the beast, agrees to the preposition. | plot

3: Resolution: Victor destroys his new female creation with thoughts of another monster roaming around. The monster, being infuriated, tells Victor he will be with him on his wedding night. As time passes, Victor agrees to marry Elizabeth. On their wedding night, the monster kills Elizabeth. Clerval is also murdered later on. Victor is very weak and ill when Walton and his men found him. After his story was done, Victor laid in bed where he soon dies. A few days later, Walton finds the monster looking over Victor's dead body. The monster regrets having become so evil and is now ready to die just as his creator did. | Plot | "The death of William, the execution of Justine, the murder of Clerval, and lastly of my wife; even at that moment I knew not that my only remaining friends were safe from the malignity of the fiend; my father even now might be writhing under his grasp, and Ernest might be dead at his feet."

4: Characterization | flat or round? | Victor Frankenstein? Round. | Victor is the main character of the novel. He tells his life to Walton in great detail. The reader not only knows all about his life with the monster now, but also his childhood and his motives throughout his entire life. The author makes sure you understand Victor's childhood struggles and different kind of family where he was always supposed to marry Elizabeth, who had lived with him since he was a child. The author explains what different interests in science Victor has and how one professor gave him the courage he always had hidden within him. The feeling of being god-like is explained thoroughly where the reader knows exactly how confident Victor is before his creation. Afterwards, the fear and guilt that arises within Victor is in great detail also. | Frankenstein's monster? Round. Frankenstein's monster spends a lot of time telling his story about how he lived in society and the tragedies he faced while in it. The monster elaborates on the cruel way he was treated due to his appearance. The author spends time telling the story to reveal his formed personality and perception of life and humankind.The monster is shown to now be evil and pessimistic because of the pain humans have caused him.

5: Robert Walton? Round. Although Walton is only the man hearing Victor's story, he is still a round character. Walton is used in comparison with Victor. They both share the same motives and perseverance. | "Inspirited by this wind of promise, my daydreams become more fervent and vivid" | Walton and Victor both have a dream which they do everything they can to fulfill. It shows how they are both courageous and thrill-seeking. | A flat character is one that the reader doesn't know much about. | Elizabeth is portrayed through her letters to Victor that he reads while he is sick. Since childhood, the reader can predict that Victor and Elizabeth will one day marry because of their mother, Caroline. Alphonse Frankenstein is Victor's father. The reader learns about his personality through his letter as well as through Victor. The way Victor speaks about him shows what kind of a man he is as well as when he comforts Victor in his time of need. M. Waldman is shown to be a sympathetic man. He speaks to Victor of how the other professor dismissed his thoughts and practically ridiculed him for reading old books. He tells Victor how important the studies are and encourages him to do as he pleases.

6: Theme | There are a few themes that can be found in Frankenstein. Monstrosity, knowledge of science, and life are represented a lot throughout the novel. Monstrosity is show through Frankenstein's monster and all of his horrific actions due to his alienation from society because of his appearance. The knowledge of science becomes a danger to all when Victor creates a monster without afterwards training him. Life and existence is shown through Frankenstein's idea that he can do what god does and make a human.

7: Setting | Geneva Ingolstadt Scotland Germany Ice and glaciers | The story takes place during the 18th Century. Victor Frankenstein grows up in Geneva with his family. Victor them sets off to Ingolstadt to go to school. The setting changes as Victor chases his monster around. The northern glaciers take part in real life with Walton. This is where Victor was found as well as where he later on dies.

8: tone | The major tone of the novel is emotional and tragic. There is also a bit of romance. The author portrays this mood throughout the novel by the actions of Frankenstein's monster and Victor's emotional releases. Emotion is shown through Victor's guilt and how he falls ill after the first two deaths. The killings of so many followed by the death of the main character show that tragedy never ends.The initial mood of the novel is tragic as everything begins with Victor being extremely ill.

9: point of view | The novel begins with Robert Walton speaking. However, as he comes across Victor Frankenstein, it changes. Victor now tells the story of his life and how he ended up so ill on a boat. It then goes to Frankenstein's monster who tells his story about his journey in life. Finally, it ends back with Walton on the ship with Victor where he then dies. Elizabeth and Alphonse take narration only through the letters they write to Victor while he is ill.